Page 20 - Italian-American Herald - December 2024

20 ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM | DECEMBER 2024 ITALIAN-AMERICAN HERALD
WELLNESS
When talking to children about Alzheimer’s, honesty is best policy
By Dr. Domenico
Praticò
Having an
honest and open
conversation about
Alzheimer’s disease
and other dementias
with children is a
very important topic since more and more
grandparents of young children may manifest
signs of memory impairments during regular
interactions with them.
Undoubtedly a situation like this is very
diffi cult for both the individual affected, the
children and the entire family. It is almost
normal for adults facing this moment to
avoid it, not talk about it and possible to
hide the condition to “protect” the children
from “unnecessary” stress that the topic may
generate in them. However, I think that
despite these risks the general rule should be
not to hide the truth to the young ones. In
fact, it is important that they understand the
reasons behind the changes in memory that
“grandma” has been recently manifesting.
Some adults may adopt to explain what’s
going on using very generic justifi cations like
“there is nothing wrong, she is just old, this is
part of getting old.” Although this approach
may be seen as protective for the children, it
can increase the sense of anxiety in them who
may think that if this is the case so their own
parents will the manifest the same when they
get older!
It is always a good idea to tell the
truth about the medical condition and
provide as much as possible appropriate
basic information on it, such as that the
disease is not the result of an infection, is
not contagious and does not necessarily
happen to all the people when they get old.
We should not hide that currently there
is no cure for it and that with time all the
symptoms could get worse. However, at the
same time we need to reassure them that
as a family we can help the loved ones with
dementia by being closer to them and not
isolating them, involving them in various
activities, and interacting with them without
fear but only love, empathy and compassion.
If necessary, we could also use tools
that help for a better understanding and
acceptance of the disease. For instance, there
are plenty of resources that can be used, such
as printed materials or online materials which
are provided for free by local, national, or
international organizations that specifi cally
deal with the disease (i., e., Alzheimer’s
Association).
In conclusion, let’s not hide the truth and
be open with children about the condition
that is affecting memory of an older member
of the family without fear that this disclosure
could create stress and discomfort in them.
Knowledge means empowerment and
this can only generate positive effects and
reactions towards the affected individuals
even in children. IAH
Dr. Domenico Praticò is a professor of
neuroscience and the founding director of the
Alzheimer’s Center at the Lewis Katz School
of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia.
AUTHENTIC ITALIAN
“Trust Your Family With Our Family” ®
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